Carrier having non-orthogonal axes

ABSTRACT

A carrier configured to carry an imaging device. The carrier may include a frame assembly comprising at least two frames, a combined rotation about the at least two frames controlling an orientation of the imaging device, or compensating the movement or vibration to stabilize the imaging device. The carrier may also include a motor assembly comprising at least two motors, each motor configured to drive a corresponding frame to rotate, wherein at least one angle formed by two frames among the at least two frames is a non-right angle.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/024,128, filed Mar.23, 2016, which is a national stage entry of International ApplicationNo. PCT/CN2013/089022 filed on Dec. 10, 2013, the entire contents ofwhich are incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a carrier, and particularly to acarrier for a movable object.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An unmanned movable object (e.g., an unmanned aerial vehicle) may have asmall size, light weight, low cost, flexible operation and high safety,and can be widely used in such fields as aerial photography,surveillance, search and rescue, resource exploration, and the like.However, since an unmanned movable object (particularly, an unmannedaerial vehicle) may experience high-frequency vibration andlow-frequency jitter, a carried object (e.g., a camera) for aerialphotography, surveillance, search and resource or resource explorationis usually not directly mounted on the movable object. A stabilizingcarrier is needed to carry a video camera, a camera or instruments forperforming surveillance or search and rescue tasks. The carrier devicefor carrying the camera or relevant apparatus is referred to as a“gimbal”.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a carrier for a movable object to couplethe movable object and a carried object, wherein the carrier may rotatealong at least two rotational axes; wherein a combined rotation aboutthe at least two rotational axes may control an orientation of thecarried object or compensate a movement and a vibration of the movableobject, so as to stabilize the carried object; wherein an angle formedby the two rotational axes may be a non-right angle to reduce a rotationradius corresponding to the rotation, so as to reduce a correspondingmoment of inertia; and wherein a center of gravity of a load applied oneach axis of the two rotational axes coincides with a correspondingaxis.

In some embodiments, the carrier may comprise three rotational axes;wherein a combined rotation about the three rotational axes may controlthe orientation of the carried object or compensate the movement andvibration of the movable object, so as to stabilize the carried object;wherein at least one angle formed by two axes among the three rotationalaxes may be a non-right angle; and wherein a center of gravity of a loadapplied on each axis of the three rotational axes coincides with acorresponding axis.

In some embodiments, the non-right angle may be greater than 0° but lessthan 90°. In some embodiments, the non-right angle may be between 600and 70°. In some embodiments, the non-right angle may be about 70°.

In some embodiments, the non-right angle may be formed by bending alateral shaft arm towards a horizontal plane.

In some embodiments, the carrier may be a carrier for carrying imagingequipment on a remotely controlled aerial vehicle.

In some embodiments, the carrier may further comprise a frame assembly,a transmission assembly and a carried object assembly, wherein the frameassembly may comprise three frames (a first frame, a second frame and athird frame).

In some embodiments, the carrier may be a dynamic self-balancinggyroscopic carrier. The carrier may further comprise a control assemblycomprising an inertial sensor configured to detect an attitudeinformation of the carried object, and a processor configured to controlthe attitude of the carried object based upon the attitude information.

In some embodiments, the transmission assembly may further comprise amotor assembly controlled by the processor based upon the attitudeinformation, wherein the motor assembly may directly drive the frameassembly to rotate the frame assembly with respect to the carriedobject, so as to adjust the attitude of the carried object.

In some embodiments, the carrier may further comprise a horizontalrotating frame connected to the first frame and the second frame, andthe horizontal rotating frame may be mounted with a cross connectionmechanism and a mechanical gyroscope therein.

In some embodiments, the transmission assembly may comprise a motor,wherein the motor may directly drive the first frame to rotate the firstframe with respect to the second frame.

In some embodiments, the transmission assembly may comprise a firstmotor and a second motor, wherein the first motor may directly drive thefirst frame to rotate the first frame with respect to the second frame,and the second motor may directly drive the linkage member, so as todrive the second frame to rotate with respect to the third frame.

In some embodiments, the carrier may further comprise electronic speedregulation modules and casings, the number of the electronic speedregulation modules and the casings corresponds to the number of themotors; each of the motors may be electrically connected to acorresponding electronic speed regulation module, and the motor and thecorresponding electronic speed regulation module being received in onecasing.

In some embodiments, an electric slip ring can be disposed between amotor assembly and a frame, such that a frame can rotate 360°circumferentially about the corresponding rotation axis.

In some embodiments, an electric slip ring may be disposed between thefirst motor and the first frame, and an electric slip ring may bedisposed between the second motor and the second frame, such that thefirst frame and the second frame may each rotate 360° circumferentiallyabout a corresponding rotation axis.

The present invention further provides a carrier for a movable object,comprising a frame assembly (a first frame and a second frame), a motorassembly (a first motor and a second motor), an imaging device and acontrol assembly; the control assembly may comprise an inertial sensorfor detecting an attitude information of the imaging device, and aprocessor for controlling the motor assembly based upon the attitudeinformation; the motor assembly may directly drive the frame assembly torotate so as to adjust an imaging angle of the imaging device; the firstframe and the second frame may respectively rotate about a fixed axis(e.g., rotational axis Z and rotational axis Y), wherein an angle formedby the rotational axis Z and rotational axis Y may be a non-right angle.

In some embodiments, an angle formed by the rotational axis Y androtational axis Z may be between 60° and 70°. In some embodiments, theangle formed by the rotational axis Y and rotational axis Z may be about70°. In some embodiments, the angle formed by the rotational axis Y androtational axis Z may be between 0° and 90°.

The present invention further provides a carrier for a movable object,comprising a stabilizing device, a transmission device and an imagingdevice, wherein the imaging device may comprise a horizontal rotatingframe connected to a frame assembly I and a frame assembly II. Thehorizontal rotating frame may be mounted with a cross connectionmechanism and a mechanical gyroscope therein, wherein the crossconnection mechanism may comprise an inner frame and an outer frame, andthe mechanical gyroscope may be fixed on the inner frame. Thetransmission device may comprise a transmission rod I and a transmissionrod II which are fixed on a side shaft of the outer frame; and theimaging device may comprise a U-shaped suspension frame and a cameraframe fixed on the U-shaped suspension frame, wherein the U-shapedsuspension frame may be connected non-perpendicularly to the horizontalrotating frame.

In some embodiments, an angle at which the horizontal rotating frame isconnected to the U-shaped suspension frame may be between 30° and 45°.In some embodiments, the angle at which the horizontal rotating frame isconnected to the U-shaped suspension frame may be between 0° and 30°. Insome embodiments, the angle at which the horizontal rotating frame isconnected to the U-shaped suspension frame may be between 45° and 90°.

The present invention further provides a carrier for a movable object,comprising a frame assembly, a transmission assembly and an imagingassembly. The frame assembly may comprise a first frame, a second frameand a third frame; the imaging assembly may be fixed on the first frame.The first frame may be rotatably connected with the second frame, andthe second frame may be rotatably connected with the third frame. Thetransmission assembly may comprise a first motor and a second motor, thefirst motor may directly drive the first frame to rotate with respect tothe second frame, and the second motor may directly drive the secondframe to rotate with respect to the third frame. At least one angleformed by two rotational axes among the rotational axis of the firstframe, the rotational axis of the second frame and the rotational axisof the third frame (referred to as X axis, Y axis and Z axis,respectively) may be a non-right angle.

In some embodiments, the angle formed by the two rotational axes may bebetween 30° and 45°. In some embodiments, the angle formed by the tworotational axes may be between 0° and 30°. In some embodiments, theangle formed by the two rotational axes may be between 45° and 90°.

In some embodiments, the carrier may further comprise a connectingplate, both the motor and the electronic speed regulation module may befixedly connected to the connecting plate. The motor may be disposed inproximity to the electronic speed regulation module. The casing may beprovided with a hole at a position corresponding to an upper end of themotor; and the casing may be provided with a notch at a positioncorresponding to an outer circumferential side of the motor. The casingmay be fixed to the connecting plate. An encoder, which is received inthe casing, may be fixedly connected to the connecting plate.

The present invention further provides a carrier of a movable object,comprising a first frame, a second frame and a carrying element forcarrying a carried object, wherein the carrying element may be rotatablyconnected to the first frame, and the first frame may be rotatablyconnected to the second frame. The carrier may further comprise a firstdriving member for driving the carrying element to rotate with respectto the first frame, and a second driving member for driving the firstframe to rotate with respect to the second frame. The first drivingmember may comprise a first motor, and the second driving member maycomprise a second motor. A first electric slip ring may be disposedbetween the carrying element and the first frame, which may maintain anelectrical conductivity when the carrying element rotates; and a secondelectric slip ring may be disposed between the first frame and thesecond frame, which may maintain an electrical conductivity when thefirst frame rotates. The first electric slip ring may be electricallyconductive with the second electric slip ring. The rotational axis ofthe carrying element rotating with respect to the first frame and theaxis of the first frame rotating with respect to the second frame may bereferred to as rotational axis X and rotational axis Y, respectively,and an angle formed by the rotational axis X and rotational axis Y maybe a non-right angle.

In some embodiments, the angle formed by the rotational axis X androtational axis Y may be between 30° and 45°. In some embodiments, theangle formed by the rotational axis X and rotational axis Y may bebetween 0° and 30°. In some embodiments, the angle formed by therotational axis X and rotational axis Y may be between 45° and 90°.

In some embodiments, the carrier may further comprise a fixing memberwhich can be fixedly locked to the movable object. The second frame maybe rotatably connected to the fixing member, and the fixing member maybe provided with a third driving member for driving the second frame torotate with respect to the fixing member. The third driving member maycomprise a third motor, and a third electric slip ring may be disposedbetween the fixing member and the second frame, which maintain anelectrical conductivity when the second frame rotates. The rotationalaxis of the second frame rotating with respect to the fixing member maybe referred to as a rotational axis Z, and at least one angle formed bytwo axes among the X axis, Y axis and Z axis may be a non-right angle.

In some embodiments, the at least one angle formed by two rotationalaxes may be between 60° and 70°. In some embodiments, the at least oneangle formed by two rotational axes may be about 70°. In someembodiments, the at least one angle formed by two rotational axes may bebetween 0° and 90°.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an orthogonal carrier;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a non-orthogonal carrier;

FIGS. 3a and 3b are schematic views showing an orthogonal carrier and anon-orthogonal carrier, respectively;

FIGS. 4a and 4b are schematic views showing an orthogonal carrier and anon-orthogonal carrier, respectively;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing structure of a dynamic self-balancinggyroscopic carrier;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing structure of another gyroscopic carrier;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing structure of a three-axis carrier;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing structure of another three-axis carrier;

FIGS. 9a-c are perspective views of a carrier having its roll-axis andpitch-axis being non-orthogonal to each other; and

FIGS. 10a-c are perspective views of a carrier having every two adjacentaxes among three axes being non-orthogonal to each other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Since a movable object (particularly, an unmanned aerial vehicle) mayexperience high-frequency vibration and low-frequency jitter, a carriedobject (e.g., a camera) for aerial photography, surveillance, search andresource and resource exploration is usually not directly mounted on themovable object, and a stabilizing carrier is needed to carry a videocamera, an image camera or instruments for performing surveillance orsearch and rescue. Particularly, the stabilizing carrier may be capableof eliminating an influence on aerial images from high-frequency andlow-frequency vibration of the aerial vehicle and avoiding a problem oftiled images caused by the tilting of a aerial vehicle body, so as toguarantee clear and stable images. With the stabilizing carrier,satisfactory results may be achieved in such applications as power lineinspection, fixed-point surveillance and aerial photography withoutperforming additional jitter-removing processing.

In addition, if an imaging angle of the camera or other devices isfixed, an application thereof may be significantly limited. A carrierhaving multiple degrees of freedom may be employed to couple the cameraor other devices (e.g., a light source) with a movable object (e.g., anaerial vehicle). The carrier having multiple degrees of freedom mayachieve an orientation of the carried object or a compensation of motionand vibration of the movable object, so as to stabilize the carriedobject.

An object may typically have six degrees of freedom, includingtranslations in three directions and rotations about three rotationalaxes. The three rotational axes may be referred to as X axis, Y axis andZ axis. In the field of aviation, rotations about the three axes mayrespectively be referred to as pitch, roll and yaw; therefore, the threeaxes mentioned above may be referred to as a pitch axis, a roll axis anda yaw axis. The carrier on an aerial vehicle may be a three-axisvehicle, a two-axis vehicle or an one-axis vehicle, i.e., the carriermay respectively have degree(s) of freedom of rotation in three, two orone direction with respect to the aerial vehicle.

The carrier of the present invention may be used in a movable object.The carrier may carry a carried object to achieve a fixing of thecarried object with respect to the movable object, an adjusting of anattitude of the carried object (e.g., varying a height, an inclinationand/or a direction of the carried object), and a stable posture of thecarried object at a certain attitude. For instance, the carrier maycomprise a gimbal having a stabilization functionality. The carrier mayserve as an auxiliary device for photographing, video shooting,surveillance (radar), sampling and illuminating, and may be applied tothe fields of air-based vehicles (e.g., a rotor wing or a fixed wingaerial vehicle), water-based vehicles (e.g., a submarine or a ship),road-based vehicles (e.g., a motor vehicle) or space-based vehicles(e.g., a satellite, a space station, or a spaceship). The carried objectmay be an imaging device such as a camera or a video camera.Alternatively, the carried object may be a sensor, a radar, a lightsource or other devices.

In some embodiments, advantageous effects of the present invention maybe explained by taking a camera as an example of the carried object andtaking an aerial vehicle as an example of the movable object. It may beapparent that the carried object can be other types of devices, such asa surveillance camera, a light source and the like, as discussedhereinabove. The movable object may be a submarine or a ship, a motorvehicle, a satellite, a space station or a spaceship and the like.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carrier 100 having three orthogonalaxes. The carrier 100 may have a first rotational axis 102 (i.e., X axisor pitch axis), a second rotational axis 104 (i.e., Y axis or rollaxis), and a third rotational axis 106 (i.e., Z axis or yaw axis). Thethree rotational axes 102, 104 and 106 may be orthogonal to one another,in other words, they are angled at 90° with respect to each other.

A first frame 108 may carry one or more carried object(s) (not shown)such as a camera, a light source and the like, and may be driven by afirst motor 110 to rotate about the first rotational axis 102 to changea pitch angle of the carried object.

The frame 108, the carried object and the first rotational axis 102 maybe driven by a second motor 112 to rotate about the second rotationalaxis 104 to change a roll angle of the carried object.

The above assemblies may be rotatably connected with a fixing member 116via a first shaft arm 114 and a second shaft arm 115. The fixing member116 may be fixed on a movable object (not shown) via a plurality offixing points 118. The assemblies below the fixing member 116, includingthe first shaft arm 114 and second shaft arm 115, may rotate about thethird rotational axis 106 to change a yaw angle of the carried object.It should be noted that the second shaft arm 115 is within the X-Yplane, that is to say, being orthogonal to the Z axis. The second shaftarm 115 may have a bending within the X-Y plane as shown in FIG. 1, butthe bending may not be necessary.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a carrier 200 having non-orthogonalaxes. In addition to an elimination of high-frequency and low-frequencyvibrations of the aerial vehicle, the carrier 200 can rotate about oneaxis, two axes or three axes to implement better imaging, monitoring orother purposes.

The carrier 200 may have a first rotational axis 202 (i.e., X axis orpitch axis), a second rotational axis 204 (i.e., Y axis or roll axis),and a third rotational axis 206 (i.e., Z axis or yaw axis). Therotational axes 204 and 206 may not be orthogonal to each other. Anangle a formed by the rotational axes 204 and 206 may be less than 90°.In some embodiments, the angle a may be about 60° to 70°. In theembodiment as shown in FIG. 2, the angle a may be about 70°. Withrespect to the carrier shown in FIG. 1, the non-orthogonal Y axis (withrespect to the original orthogonal Y axis) may be considered as bendingtowards the Z axis by α′=90°−α, e.g., 20°. Here, α′ may be acomplementary angle of α.

It should be noted that, when an existing multi-axis aerial vehicleperforms a tilted flight, an inclined angle in the field of view of agimbal camera may be corrected by a rolling of the aerial vehicle.Assuming that a maximum angle of tilted flight of the aerial vehicle is45°, α′ may be less than the maximum angle, e.g., 45°, to facilitate acontrol of the carrier.

Furthermore, an important consideration in designing the mechanicalstructure of nonorthogonal axes is to reduce a length of the shaft armand enhance a structural rigidity. In some embodiments, the shaft armmay have the shortest length and the optimal rigidity when α′ is in arange of 20° to 45°, while a center of gravity of a load applied on anindividual axis coincides with the axis.

A first frame 208 may carry one or more carried objects such as a camera209, a light source and the like. The first frame 208 may be driven by afirst motor 210 to rotate about the first rotational axis 202 and changea pitch angle of the carried object.

The frame 208, the carried object 209 and the first rotational axis 202may be driven together by a second motor 212 to rotate about the secondrotational axis 204 and change a roll angle of the carried object.

The above assemblies may be rotatably connected to a fixing member 216via a first shaft arm 214 and a second shaft arm 215. The fixing member216 may be fixed on a movable object (not shown) via a plurality offixing points 218. The assemblies positioned below the fixing member216, including the first shaft arm 214 and the second shaft arm 215, mayrotate about the third rotational axis 206 to change a yaw angle of thecarried object.

It should be noted that, the second shaft arm 215 may deviate from theoriginal X-Y plane; that is to say, the second shaft arm 215 may not beorthogonal to the Z axis. As shown in FIG. 2, the second shaft arm 215may have a bending in the X-Y plane with a bending angle of 180°−α′.Those skilled in the art may appreciate that the non-orthogonal axes mayalso be implemented by other mechanical structures.

The yaw axis 206 and the roll axis 204, among the three rotational axesof the carrier 200 having non-orthogonal axes shown in FIG. 2, may benon-orthogonal to each other. In this configuration, a motor 220 on theyaw axis 206 and a motor 212 on the roll axis 204 may be provided onproximity to each other, such that the shaft arm 214 may be shorter ascompared to the shaft arm 114 shown in FIG. 1, with a more compactstructure, better rigidity and less weight. Meanwhile, a load applied onthe motor 220 may be reduced. In contrast, the shaft arm 114 shown inFIG. 1 may be longer, leading to an inferior overall rigidity of thecarrier. In addition, more material may be needed at a connectingportion of the shaft arm 114, thereby increasing a weight of the carrier100.

As compared with the carrier 100 shown in FIG. 1, the non-orthogonal yawaxis 206 and the roll axis 204 of the carrier 200 shown in FIG. 2 mayalso reduce a load rotating space for a rotation of the load (andconsequently, the equivalent moment of inertia) when the load rotatesabout the yaw axis 206, thereby reducing a load applied on the motor 220of the yaw axis 206.

A center of gravity of a mass block (also referred to as a load) appliedon each axis of the carrier 200 in FIG. 2 may coincide with the axis.For instance, the center of gravity of the load applied on the yaw axis206, including the first shaft arm 214, the second shaft arm 215, thesecond motor 212, the frame 208, the carried object 209 and the firstmotor 202 etc., may coincide with the yaw axis 206. When the loadrotates about the yaw axis 206, the rotation will be a symmetricalrotation, causing no vibration or associated pressure onto the yaw axis206. Meanwhile, a vibration transferred from the movable object (e.g.,an aerial vehicle or a vehicle) on which the carrier is provided to acarried apparatus (e.g., the carried object 209 such as a camera, aradar or a light source) on the carrier 200 may be removed by an inertiaof the load, thereby improving an imaging effect.

The carrier 200 for movable object of present invention may couple thecarried object 209 to the movable object. A combined rotation of thecarrier about multiple rotation axes may control a orientation of thecarried object 209 or compensate a movement and a vibration of themovable object, so as to stabilize the carried object 209. At least oneangle formed by two axes among the rotational axes may not be a rightangle. The center of gravity of the load applied on the yaw axis 206 maycoincide with the yaw axis 206, the center of gravity of the load (e.g.,the second motor 212, the frame 208, the carried object 209 and thefirst motor 202) applied on the roll axis 204 may coincide with the rollaxis 204, and the center of gravity of the load (e.g., the frame 208,the carried object 209, and the first motor 202) applied on the pitchaxis 202 may coincide with the pitch axis 202.

In some embodiments, the non-right angle may be 0°<α′<90° or90°<(180°−α′)<180°. For instance, α′ may be between 0° and 45°. In someembodiments, α′ may be between 0° and 30° or between 30° and 45°. In apreferred embodiment, α′ may be about 20°. In another preferredembodiment, α′ may be about 30°. In some embodiments, α′ may be between45° and 90°.

In some other embodiments, the carrier may comprise only two rotationalaxes, and an angle formed by the two rotational axes may not be a rightangle.

A comparison between the orthogonal carrier 100 and the non-orthogonalcarrier 200 is shown further in FIGS. 3a and 3b . It should be notedthat the fixing members 116 and 216 may respectively define a horizontalplane 310 and a horizontal plane 320. The horizontal plane 310 and ahorizontal plane 320 may correspond to an attitude of the aerial vehiclein a horizontal flight. In the orthogonal carrier 100, a direction ofthe longitudinal shaft arm 114 may be orthogonal to, i.e., at rightangle to the horizontal plane 310. In the non-orthogonal carrier 200, adirection of the longitudinal shaft arm 214 may not be orthogonal to,i.e., at a non-right angle- to the horizontal plane 320, wherein˜=90°+α′.

It may be apparent from FIG. 3b that, the non-orthogonal yaw axis androll axis may result in a configuration in which the motor on the yawaxis and the motor on the roll axis may be close to each other, suchthat the shaft arm 214 between the yaw axis and roll axis may beshorter. The structure of the carrier may be compact, with less materialconsumption and reduced weight, thereby reducing the load applied on themotor on the yaw axis.

A comparison between the orthogonal carrier 100 and the non-orthogonalcarrier 200 is shown further in FIGS. 4a and 4b . It may be apparentfrom FIG. 4b that, the space for a rotation of the non-orthogonalcarrier may be smaller. In FIGS. 4a and 4b , a rotation radius of thecarrier rotating about the yaw axis may be represented by dash lines 410and 420, respectively. It can be seen that, when a right angleintersection of the yaw axis and roll axis in the orthogonal carrier 100is changed to a non-right angle intersection in the non-orthogonalcarrier 200, the rotation radius 420 of the yaw axis (namely, thehorizontal projection distance between the yaw axis motor and the rollaxis motor) may be shorter as compared to the rotation radius 410, suchthat the non-orthogonal yaw axis and roll axis may reduce the space forthe load rotating about the yaw axis (i.e., the equivalent moment ofinertia), thereby reducing the load applied on the motor 220 of the yawaxis.

More specifically, for yaw axes 104 and 204 having the same length L,the rotation radii 410 and 420 corresponding to effective rotationalmass m1, m2 within the dash-line boxes of FIGS. 4a and 4b may be L and Lsin α, respectively. If the rotational mass m1=m2, the rotatory inertiamay be proportional to (sin α)², and the load applied on the yaw axismotor 220 may be reduced to (sin α)² of the original load.

In addition, an operator may control a direction and an angle of acamera or other carried objects more quickly and effectively if the sizeand weight of the carrier carried on the movable object (particularly, asmall unmanned aerial vehicle) is smaller, to thereby achieve betteraerial photography and surveillance result. Here, a size of the carriermay not necessarily refer to an overall geometric volume of the carrier.Since a function of the carrier is to rotate about one axis, two axes orthree axes, the space for rotating the carrier about a certain axis mayreflect an actual “operational” size of the carrier in a more directway. That is to say, the actual “operational” size of the carrier aboutan axis may be smaller if a rotating radius of the carrier rotatingabout the axis is smaller. In addition to a size, a lighter weight ofthe carrier may reduce the load applied on a driving motor, whichfacilitates the design of the motor and carrier. In addition to the sizeand weight, a rigidity of the carrier may be an important factor, likein many mechanical structures. Rigidity is a property that an objectresists a deformation in response to an applied force, or the capabilityof the object in resisting a deformation. It may be understood that thecarrier with a higher rigidity may have a longer service life and higherreliability, and also exhibit a rapid response to operations.

The concept of above-discussed carrier having non-orthogonal axes may beapplied to various carriers, and may be used to improve the structure ofexisting carriers. For instance, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a structureof a two-axis dynamic self-balancing gyroscopic carrier 500. The carrier500 may comprise a frame assembly, a motor assembly, a control assemblyand a carried object 510. The frame assembly may comprise a first frame520, a second frame 540 and a third frame 560. The carried object 510may be fixed on the first frame 520. The first frame 520 and the secondframe 540 may be provided rotatable with respect to each other (i.e.,they can be rotatably coupled to each other). The second frame 540 andthe third frame 560 may be provided rotatable with respect to each other(i.e., they can be rotatably coupled to each other). Here, the shape ofthe carried object 510 may not be limited to a square as shown inFIG. 1. In some embodiments, the shape of the carried object 510 may becircular, oval or other shapes. The carried object 510 may not belimited to the image apparatus as shown in FIG. 5. In some embodiments,the carried object 510 may be an apparatus such as a light source or aradar.

In some embodiments of the present invention, one or more motors may beemployed as transmission devices of the carrier. A direct coupling of amotor to power to the frame assemblies of the carrier may consume lessenergy and save electrical power. Meanwhile, an infinitely variableadjustment may be possible using the motor, with a short response time,a quick start/stop and a timely adjustment of the rotational speed.Therefore, various flight attitudes of an unmanned aerial vehicle may beadopted, and an imaging stability of the imaging assembly may beimproved. In some embodiments, rotation of a video camera or imagecamera about one axis, two axes or three axes may be achieved through amechanical gear driving manner.

The motor assembly may comprise a first motor 530 and a second motor550. The first motor 530 may directly drive the first frame 520 torotate about its rotational axis with respect to the second frame 540.The second motor 550 may directly drive the second frame 540 to rotateabout its rotational axis with respect to the third frame 560.

The first frame 520 and the second frame 540 may respectively rotateabout a fixed axis (known as rotational axis X and rotational axis Y).In some embodiments, an angle formed by the rotational axis X androtational axis Y may be a non-right angle. For instance, theconventional right angle between the rotational axis X and rotationalaxis Y may be reduced. In one configuration of the present invention, adistance between the motor of X axis and the motor of Y axis may bereduced, such that a shorter shaft arm having more compact structure,better rigidity and lighter weight may be obtained. Furthermore, thenon-orthogonal X axis and Y axis may reduce the space for the loadrotating about the yaw axis (i.e., the equivalent moment of inertia),thereby reducing the load applied on the motor.

In some embodiments, the non-right angle formed by the rotational axis Xand rotational axis Y may be between 0° and 90°. In some embodiments,the angle formed by the rotational axis X and rotational axis Y may bebetween 0° and 30°. In some embodiments, the angle formed by therotational axis X and rotational axis Y may be between 30° and 45°, forinstances, 30° or 45°. In some embodiments, the angle formed by therotational axis X and rotational axis Y may be between 45° and 90°. Insome embodiments, the non-right angle formed by the rotational axis Xand rotational axis Y may be between 90° and 180°.

In some embodiments, the carrier is a dynamic self-balancing gyroscopiccarrier. The carrier 500 may further comprise a control assembly whichmay comprise a processor and an inertial sensor. The inertial sensor maydetect an attitude information of the carried object 510. The processormay control the motor assembly based upon the attitude information. Themotor assembly may directly drive the frame assembly to rotate withrespect to the carried object, thereby adjusting the attitude of thecarried object 510.

In some embodiments, the carrier 500 may further comprise a horizontalrotating frame connected to the first frame and second frame. Thehorizontal rotating frame may be mounted with a cross connectionmechanism and a mechanical gyroscope therein. The stability of thecarrier as discussed hereinabove may be implemented by the gyroscope.The gyroscope may comprise a rotatable wheel located at an axis of thegyroscope. The gyroscope may be capable of achieving a self-stabilitybecause once the gyroscope begins to rotate, it has a tendency ofresisting a change in direction due to the angular momentum of thewheel.

Therefore, a mechanical stabilizing gyroscope having a large inertia maybe employed to stabilize the carrier. The horizontal rotating frame maybe connected to the frames of the carrier, and the mechanical gyroscopemay be connected on the horizontal rotating frame to form a stabilizingdevice. The stabilizing device may be connected with the imaging devicevia the transmission device to achieve a synchronous movement betweenthe gyroscope and the imaging device in vertical direction, and thusachieving a stable imaging of the camera by virtue of the stability ofthe gyroscope.

In some embodiments, the carrier 500 may further comprise electronicspeed regulation modules and casings. The number of the electronic speedregulation modules and the number of the casings may correspond to thenumber of motors. One motor and one corresponding electronic speedregulation module may be electrically connected and received in onecasing.

In some embodiments, an electric slip ring is disposed between the motorof the transmission assembly and the frame, such that the frame mayrotate 360° circumferentially about a corresponding rotational axis.

In some embodiments, an electric slip ring may be disposed between thefirst motor and the first frame, and an electric slip ring may bedisposed between the second motor and the second frame, so that thefirst frame and second frame may rotate 360° circumferentially aboutcorresponding rotational axes.

Taking aerial photography as an example, the carrier 500 in FIG. 5 maybe fixed to the body of an unmanned aerial vehicle. The carrier 500 maycomprise a frame assembly (i.e., the first frame 520 and the secondframe 540), a motor assembly (i.e., the first motor 530 and the secondmotor 550), an imaging apparatus 510 and a control assembly. The controlassembly may comprise a processor and an inertial sensor. The inertialsensor may detect an attitude information of the imaging apparatus 510.The processor may control the motor assembly based upon the attitudeinformation. The motor assembly may directly drive the frame assembly torotate, so as to adjust an imaging angle of the imaging apparatus 510.The first frame 520 and the second frame 540 may respectively rotateabout a fixed axis (e.g., a rotational axis X and a rotational axis Y).In some embodiments, an angle formed by the rotational axis X androtational axis Y may be a non-right angle.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of another gyroscopic carrier 600. Thecarrier 600 may comprise a frame (also referred to as a stabilizingdevice), a transmission device and a carried object (e.g., an imagingdevice). The carried object may comprise a camera support 608 on whichvarious models of cameras (not shown) may be fixed.

The stabilizing device may ensure an overall stability of the carrier600 by virtue of a mechanical gyroscope which may remain stable uponhigh-speed rotating. A first mechanism frame 612 and a second mechanismframe 613 may be respectively mounted at a middle portion and a rearportion of the carrier 600. A bearing seat is mounted at the center ofthe first mechanism frame 612, and a bearing seat is mounted at thecenter of the second mechanism frame 613. The bearing seats may becoaxial. A horizontal rotating frame 610 may be connected with the firstmechanism frame 612 and second mechanism frame 613 via the bearingseats, and the horizontal rotating frame 610 may rotate about the commonaxis.

The horizontal rotating frame 610 may comprise two parts, i.e., arectangular frame and a U-shaped frame. The rectangular frame may beprovided at an upper part. Two ends of the rectangular frame may berespectively mounted in the bearing seats of the first mechanism frame612 and second mechanism frame 613. Therefore, the horizontal rotatingframe 610 may swing in a left and right direction between the firstmechanism frame 612 and second mechanism frame 613. The rectangularframe may be mounted with a cross connection mechanism and a mechanicalgyroscope 609 therein. The cross connection mechanism may comprise aninner cross connection frame 615 and an outer cross connection frame614. A bearing may be respectively mounted on two sides of the outerframe 614. The outer frame 614 may be connected to the horizontalrotating frame 610 via the bearings to ensure that the gyroscope 609 andthe connection device as a whole have a degree of freedom in a forwardand backward movement. The outer frame 614 may be provided with threadedholes through which a position of a center of gravity of the gyroscope609 may be vertically adjusted upon mounting. When the aerial vehicleexperiencing a lateral shaking, the gyroscope 609 may remain verticaldue to the inertia effect. The horizontal rotating frame 610 may beconnected with the mechanical gyroscope 609 and may remain perpendicularto the mechanical gyroscope 609. A movement of the gyroscope may betransferred to the camera support 608 via a transmission rod 617, so asto ensure the carried object (e.g., the camera) remaining horizontal inthe left-right direction. A servo 618 may be controlled by a remotecontroller to actively adjust an orientation of the camera.

A damping rubber 619 may absorb the low-frequency vibration produced bythe aerial vehicle during flight, and the high-frequency vibration maybe filtered out by the mechanical gyroscope 609 to thereby obtain stableimages.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the horizontal rotatingframe 610 may be non-orthogonally connected to a U-shaped suspensionframe 611, such that the gimbal can have a more compact structure,better rigidity and lighter weight. Therefore, the angle formed by therotational axis X and rotational axis Y may be a non-right angle ascompared to a conventional right angle.

In some embodiments, the non-orthogonal angle between the horizontalrotating frame 610 and the U-shaped suspension frame 611 may be greaterthan 0° but less than 90°. In some embodiments, the angle formed by therotational axis X and rotational axis Y may be between 0° and 30°. Insome other embodiments, the angle may be between 30° and 45°, e.g., 30°or 45°. In some other embodiments, the angle may be between 45° and 90°.In some embodiments, the angle may be between 90° and 180°.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a three-axis carrier 700. The carrier 700may comprise a frame, a transmission device and a carried object (e.g.,an imaging device) 723. The frame may comprise a first frame 724 and asecond frame 726. The imaging device 723 may be fixed on the first frame724. Here, the shape of the imaging device 723 may not be limited to asquare shape as shown in FIG. 7, and it may be circular or other shapesas seen in the market. In order to enable the imaging device 723 torotate about X axis (i.e., the rotational axis of the first frame 724),the first frame 724 may be rotatably disposed on the second frame 726via a pin shaft at each end portion thereof. The structure can achievean upward and a downward rotation of the imaging device 723.

In order to accommodate a left or right rolling flight of the unmannedaerial vehicle, the imaging device 723 may correspondingly perform aright or left rolling, thereby allowing a stable image or video to becaptured. As shown in FIG. 7, the second frame 726 may rotate about itsrotational axis Y. The second frame 726 may rotate leftward or rightwardby a certain angle, so as to drive the first frame 724 and the imagingdevice 723 as a whole to rotate. In some embodiments, in order to drivethe first frame 724 and second frame 726, motors 725 and 727 may beprovided as power source. The merits of motor direct driving mayinclude, for example, less energy consumption, power saving andenvironment-friendliness, short response time, and quick adjustment toadapt to various flight attitudes of the unmanned aerial vehicle.Therefore, an imaging stability of the imaging assembly may be improved.Furthermore, the motor can achieve an indefinitely variable adjustmentand a smooth speed change to continuously and arbitrarily adjust thespeed within an allowed range; therefore, the impact to mechanicalmembers is smaller, and the stability is better. In some embodiments, asshown in FIG. 7, the transmission device may comprise a first motor 725and a second motor 727. The first motor 725 may directly drive the firstframe 724 to rotate about its rotational axis (i.e., X axis) withrespect to the second frame 726. The second motor 727 may directly drivethe second frame 726 to rotate about its rotational axis (i.e., Y axis).

At least one angle formed by two rotational axes among the rotationalaxis of the first frame 724, the rotational axis of the second frame 726and the rotational axis of the third frame 728 (referred to as X axis, Yaxis and Z axis, respectively) may be a non-right angle. For instance,the right angle in conventional designs may be changed into a non-rightangle. This design of present invention may shorten a distance betweenmotors of two non-orthogonal axes; therefore, the corresponding shaftarm may be shorter, leading to a more compact structure, better rigidityand the lighter weight of the carrier. Furthermore, the space for arotation (i.e., the equivalent moment of inertia) of two axes of thegimbal, which intersect at a non-right angle, may be reduced, therebyreducing the loads applied on the motors of the corresponding axes.

In some embodiments, the non-orthogonal angle formed by the tworotational axes may be between 0° and 90°. In some embodiments, theangle formed by the rotational axis X and rotational axis Y may bebetween 0° and 30°. In some embodiments, the angle may be between 30°and 45°, e.g., 30° or 45°. In some embodiments, the angle may be between45° and 90°. In some embodiments, the angle may be between 90° and 180°.

FIG. 8 shows a carrier 800 that may rotate 360° circumferentially aboutthree axes. The carrier 800 may comprise a first rotation member 829, asecond rotation member 830, a first driving member 832, a second drivingmember 833, a third driving member 834 and a carrying member 831. Thecarrying member 831 may carry a carried object 859 such as an imagingdevice, a light source or a radar. In this embodiment, the advantageouseffects of the present embodiment may be explained by employing amirrorless interchangeable-lens camera (MILC) 859 as an imaging deviceand mounting the carrier 800 to an aerial vehicle. The MILC 859 may befixed on the carrying member 831 via a locking member. Alternatively, itmay be understood that the carrying member 831 may carry other types ofcameras or surveillance cameras.

The carrier 800 may be used for a video capturing device, an imagecapturing device or a surveillance device, and may be employed in fieldssuch as manned or unmanned aerial vehicles, carrying bodies,automobiles, ships, robots, film capturing or handheld devices. Thecarrying member 831 may be rotatably connected to the first rotationmember 829, and the first rotation member 829 may be rotatably connectedto the second rotation member 830. The second rotation member 830 maycomprise a lateral support arm 21 and a longitudinal support arm 22. Thelateral support arm 21 and longitudinal support arm 22 may be fixedlyconnected to each other or may be formed integrally. The rotationdirection of the carrying member 831 may be perpendicular to therotation direction of the first rotation member 829. The carrier 800 mayfurther comprise a fixing member 867 which may be fixedly locked to amounting position of the aerial vehicle. The second rotation member 830may be rotatably connected to the fixing member 867. The fixing member867 may be provided with a third driving member 834 for driving thesecond rotation member 830 to rotate with respect to the fixing member867, such that to a three-axis carrier 800 is provided.

The carrier 800 may further comprise the first driving member 832 fordriving the carrying member 831 to rotate it with respect to the firstrotation member 829, and the second driving member 833 for driving thefirst rotation member 829 to rotate it with respect to the secondrotation member 830. The first driving member 832 may comprise a firstmotor, the second driving member 833 may comprise a second motor, andthe third driving member 834 may comprises a third motor. An electricslip ring may be disposed between the fixing member 867 and the secondrotation member 830, which may maintain an electrical conductivity whenthe second rotation member 830 rotates. The gimbal may unrestrictedlyrotate 360° about three axes.

The use of a conductive slip ring in connecting electrical components ofthe carrier may solve a number of prior art problems in motor driving.For instance, cables directly connected to the electrical devices on thecarrier may suffer from entanglement and restriction, so that thecarrier cannot perform an omnidirectional rotation, and the electricaldevices cannot achieve 360° omnidirectional rotation, which may restrictthe functions of the carrier and being not user friendly.

The conductive slip ring may provide an electrical contact slipconnection, and may also be referred to as an electrical rotaryconnector, collector ring, rotary joint, rotary electrical interface,slip ring, current collector ring, return circuit ring, coil,commutator, or adaptor, which is a precise power transmission device forachieving transmission of images, data signals and power between twomechanisms that rotate with respect to each other. The slip ring may beparticularly suitable for situations in which transmission of power ordata from a fixed position to a rotating position is required duringunrestricted continuous rotation. In some embodiments, the electric slipring may comprise a slip ring rotor and a slip ring stator. The slipring rotor and slip ring stator may be respectively fixed to two framesof the carrier that rotate with respect to each other, or respectivelyfixed to the carried object and the frame about which the carried objectrotates. A carrier capable of performing a 360° rotation by employingthe electric slip ring may further improve the stability of aerialphotography on a flying object.

The rotational axis of the carrying member 831 about the first rotationmember 829 and the rotational axis of the first rotation member 829about the second rotation member 830 may be referred to as X axis and Yaxis, respectively. The rotational axis of the second rotation member830 about the fixing member 867 may be referred to as Z axis. Accordingto some embodiments of the present invention, at least one angle formedby two axes of the X axis, Y axis and Z axis may be a non-right angle.The configuration may enable the driving members (i.e., motors) of twoaxes, which are intersecting at a non-right angle, closer to each other,resulting in a shorter shaft arm, a more compact structure, an improvedrigidity and a lighter weight. Furthermore, a space (i.e., theequivalent moment of inertia) for a rotation about two axes of thegimbal, which intersect at a non-right angle, may be reduced, therebyreducing the load applied on the driving member (i.e., motor) of thecorresponding axis.

In some embodiments, the non-orthogonal angle formed by the tworotational axes may be greater than 0° but less than 90°. In someembodiments, the angle formed by the rotational axis Z and rotationalaxis Y may be between 0° and 90°. In some embodiments, the angle may bebetween 60° and 70°, e.g., 60° or 70°. In some embodiments, the anglemay be between 45° and 90°. In some embodiments, the angle may bebetween 90° and 180°.

FIGS. 9a-c are perspective views of a carrier with non-orthogonal rollaxis and pitch axis. FIG. 9a is a front view, FIG. 9b is a bottom view,and FIG. 9c is a perspective view. The moment of inertia of the load onroll axis may be similarly reduced, as discussed hereinabove. Similar tothe situation of the non-orthogonal yaw axis and roll axis shown in FIG.2, the moment of inertia of the load on roll axis may be reduced.

FIGS. 10a-c are perspective views of a carrier of which every twoadjacent axes among its three axes are non-orthogonal. FIG. 10a is afront view, FIG. 10b is a bottom view, and FIG. 10c is a perspectiveview.

In the embodiments as discussed hereinabove, the center of gravity of aload applied on each axis may substantially coincide with acorresponding axis, so as to achieve a balanced control during theactuation of the carrier. A deviation in the position of the center ofgravity of the load may be permitted within a design range.

The foregoing disclosure is only preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, and the protection scope of the present invention is notlimited to the above embodiments. Those equivalent modifications orvariations made by those having ordinary skill in the art according tothe disclosure of the present invention all fall within the protectionscope as recited in the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A carrier configured to carry an imaging device,the carrier comprising: a frame assembly comprises at least two frames,a combined rotation about the at least two frames controlling anorientation of the imaging device, or compensating a movement orvibration to stabilize the imaging device; a motor assembly comprisingat least two motors, each motor configured to drive a correspondingframe to rotate; wherein at least one angle formed by two frames amongthe at least two frames is a non-right angle.
 2. The carrier accordingto claim 1, wherein: the frame assembly comprises a first frame, asecond frame and a third frame; the imaging device is fixed on the firstframe, the first frame is rotatably connected with the second frame, andthe second frame is rotatably connected with the third frame; and themotor assembly may comprise a first motor a second motor, wherein thefirst motor directly drives the first frame to rotate with respect tothe second frame, and the second motor directly drives the second frameto rotate with respect to the third frame.
 3. The carrier according toclaim 2, wherein one angle formed by a rotational axis of the secondframe and a rotational axis of the third frame is a non-right angle,and/or one angle formed by the rotational axis of the second frame and arotational axis of the first frame is a non-right angle.
 4. The carrieraccording to claim 2, wherein at least one angle formed by two framesamong the first frame, the second frame and the third frame is anon-right angle.
 5. The carrier according to claim 4, wherein one angleformed by the second frame and the third frame is a non-right angle. 6.The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the non-right angle is greaterthan 0° but less than 90°.
 7. The carrier according to claim 6, whereinthe non-right angle is between 60° and 70°.
 8. The carrier according toclaim 1, further comprising a control assembly comprising an inertialsensor configured to detect an attitude information of the imagingdevice, and a processor configured to control an attitude of the imagingdevice based upon the attitude information.
 9. The carrier according toclaim 8, wherein the motor assembly is controlled by the processor basedupon the attitude information.
 10. The carrier according to claim 1,further comprising at least two electronic speed regulation modules andat least two casings, each of the motors is electrically connected to acorresponding electronic speed regulation module, and the motor and thecorresponding electronic speed regulation module are received in acorresponding casing.
 11. The carrier according to claim 1, furthercomprising a fixing member which can be fixedly locked to a movableobject.
 12. A carrier configured to carry an imaging device, the carriercomprising: a frame assembly comprising at least two frames, wherein acombined rotation about the at least two frames controls an orientationof the imaging device, or compensates a movement or vibration tostabilize the imaging device, wherein each of the at least two frames iscapable of being respectively rotated about a rotation axis; a motorassembly comprising at least two motors, each motor configured to drivea corresponding frame to rotate; wherein at least one angle formed byrotational axes of the at least two frames is a non-right angle.
 13. Thecarrier according to claim 12, wherein: the frame assembly comprises afirst frame, a second frame and a third frame, wherein the imagingdevice is fixed on the first frame, the first frame is rotatablyconnected with the second frame, and the second frame is rotatablyconnected with the third frame; and the motor assembly comprises a firstmotor and a second motor, wherein the first motor directly drives thefirst frame to rotate with respect to the second frame, and the secondmotor directly drives the second frame to rotate with respect to thethird frame.
 14. The carrier according to claim 12, wherein thenon-right angle is greater than 0° but less than 90°.
 15. The carrieraccording to claim 14, wherein the non-right angle is between 60° and70°.
 16. The carrier according to claim 12, further comprising a controlassembly comprising an inertial sensor configured to detect an attitudeinformation of the imaging device, and a processor configured to controlan attitude of the imaging device based upon the attitude information.17. The carrier according to claim 16, wherein the motor assembly iscontrolled by the processor based upon the attitude information.
 18. Thecarrier according to claim 12, further comprising at least twoelectronic speed regulation modules and at least two casings, each ofthe motors is electrically connected to a corresponding electronic speedregulation module, and the motor and the corresponding electronic speedregulation module are received in a corresponding casing.
 19. Thecarrier according to claim 12, further comprising a fixing member whichcan be fixedly locked to a movable object.
 20. The carrier according toclaim 12, wherein the carrier is configured to carry the imaging deviceon a remotely controlled aerial vehicle.